Ukraine Crisis ( Europe Brief News): After a phone call with Donald Trump, President Putin said Russia is ready to cooperate with Ukraine on a peace accord, calling progress encouraging.
Following the two sides’ first in-person meeting since March 2022 in Turkey last week, Putin thanked Trump for backing the return of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
Trump acknowledged Russia’s backing for peace, he added, but the crucial issue was how to get there.
“We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord, defining a number of positions, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement,”
Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
He stated that the two nations would need to establish a potential truce and its duration as part of this effort. Putin has been asked to accept an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days by Ukraine, its European allies, and the United States.
Putin went on to say that the fact that Russia and Ukraine are having direct discussions “gives reason to believe that we are generally on the right track.”
“I would like to note that, on the whole, the Russia’s position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,”
Putin said.
“We just need to determine the most effective ways to move towards peace.”
Despite their fear that Trump would impose a harsh peace settlement on Kyiv that would effectively deprive Ukraine of a fifth of its territory and leave it without a robust security guarantee against potential future Russian attacks, European leaders insist Putin is not serious about peace.
Ukraine, Western European politicians, and former U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged to destroy Russian forces that they think may attack NATO in the future, a claim Moscow denies.
They have also characterized Russia’s incursion as an imperial-style land grab.
Putin portrays the conflict as a turning point in Moscow’s relationship with the West, which he claims degraded Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 by expanding NATO and invading Ukraine and other areas he claims are within Moscow’s sphere of influence.
What are the main points of the memorandum proposed by Russia?
In order to provide a framework that is acceptable to both parties, the memorandum would specify the fundamental ideas that will direct the conflict’s resolution.
It would provide a schedule for reaching a peace agreement, offering a methodical way to put an end to the conflict.
If the pertinent agreements are achieved between the parties, the memorandum may contain the provisions for a ceasefire for a specific amount of time.
In order to address the underlying causes of the issue and come up with solutions that both parties can agree on, the document is meant to help Moscow and Kyiv reach agreements.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stressed that the memorandum would be drafted in cooperation with Ukraine and that there is a reason for hope given the recent restart of direct negotiations.
